Review: Allegiant

Review: Allegiant

Beatrice “Tris” Prior (Shailene Woodley) is still as annoying in Allegiant as she was in the first movie in the series, Divergent.

So if anything, you cannot fault her for being inconsistent.

But being a charismatic leader is not why the people of Chicago look up to her – she is special by birth and that qualification alone places her high up in the new hierarchy.

We know that she is a Divergent – a 100% example at that, so she definitely doesn’t fall into any of the factions that were created to segregate the city’s people.

Just a quick recap: the Factions are Candor (honesty), Erudite (intelligence), Dauntless (bravery), Abnegation (selflessness) and Amity (peacefulness). People like Tris belong to more than one faction – the very type of individual society labels as a Divergent.

In Insurgent, we saw the collapse of the flawed Faction system, the city’s leader killed and Tris revealing the truth that there is a whole other world outside the walls built around Chicago.

Allegiant, the first movie of the two-part finale, starts with the execution of those who committed heinous crimes under the previous leader’s regime. One of those awaiting trial is Caleb Prior (Ansel Elgort), who isn’t just someone who tried to kill Tris before – he is her own brother. Talk about an awkward family reunion right there.

But more than wanting to exact revenge for the death of her parents or bring stability to her city, Tris is obsessed with the idea of the world beyond Chicago. Together with her boyfriend Four (Theo James), she sets out to scratch that itch. First of all, it’s illegal as Evelyn Johnson-Eaton (Naomi Watts), the new leader, has banned any expedition beyond the walls; and besides, Tris doesn’t have a clue as to what awaits them over there.

Run, Tris, run – the Divergent girl is back to save the world in Allegiant.

There isn’t much action or excitement in Allegiant, which was obviously made to prep us for the series finale, Ascendant, which is scheduled for release in June next year. But it does take us to where we need to be when that movie comes out, and give us a reason to see the villain die … or not, I don’t know. I haven’t really completed the Veronica Roth books on which the movies are based.

While waiting for the big finish, fans of the film series would definitely pay money to catch a glimpse of a shirtless James. Yeah, he takes a shower, so don’t be surprised if the consensus is that a dripping-wet, half-naked Four is possibly the best image in the movie.

Woodley is no slouch in the looks department either, though her acting is still pretty much wooden. All that jumping, climbing and wrestling with James sure did her physique good; in between my mouthfuls of popcorn and sips of soda, I found myself totally inspired to join a gym. Then I remembered I already have a gym membership, though I haven’t set foot in the place for years … so I just continued watching the movie.

Anyway, let’s hope that the filmmakers have saved all the action sequences for an epic finale in Ascendant because this installment is surely lacking in thrills. And as for James, less talking and more shirtless scenes, please.